TJM Media Group Presents: Start to Finish: Episode 1
The TJM Media Group is pleased to announce the release of the first episode of “Start to Finish” – a series where you, the reader, will help select each month’s photography and graphic design assignment and then watch as your projects are completed, from start to finish. The key to this being a fun, interesting, and informative feature is your interaction. In this first episode, we had to come up with a basic concept on our own.
In this episode, we go on assignment to the grounds of the University of Virginia and photograph Thomas Jefferson’s historic academic village. Photographs are captured to demonstrate basic pano-stitching techniques back in the studio. It was a simple task to get the series up and running.
We have every confidence that you can do much better!
Here’s how we’d like it to work:
Each month we need two basic assignments – a photographic concept and a final presentation.
For example, a suggestion for a photographic concept might be:
Demonstrate the process for capturing the photos needed to render an HDR image of the Lincoln Memorial. The resulting final presentation concept might be: Render the HDR image and present as a fine art print.
(OK, that one seems pretty neat. We might use it… )
Email your suggestions to: start2finish@tjmmediagroup.com
We look forward to working on YOUR assignments.
All the best,
Rob Jones and Jason Moore
Founders, TJM Media Group
PRESS RELEASE: Announcing the TJM Media Group
For Immediate Release…
Towner Jones Photography, LLC and Jason D. Moore Photography are pleased to announce the formation of the TJM Media Group. This new association serves as a common brand through which exciting new projects can be presented from these two established photography and graphic design content providers.
On February 1, 2010 the TJM Media Group will present the first episode of “Start to Finish” a Photoshop and photography training series showing viewers the complete creative process from capture to presentation. TJM Media Group content will be available through each of the members’ blogs as well as directly through the TJM Media Group website (tjmmediagroup.com) when it goes live in the coming weeks.
Special Thanks to You All!
For my final post of the year, I’d like to take a moment to express my deepest thanks to some really great people who have made 2009 such an awesome year here at Jason D. Moore Photography.
Guest Blogging at Towner Jones Photography
As my buddy Rob Jones and his family welcome their new twins home and make sure everyone is settled and has some proper bonding time, he’s asked some of us to help keep his blog running by coming up with some of the creative content over the next couple of weeks.
So, to help support Rob, today’s post can be found over at Towner Jones Photography and it’s all about presenting familiar things in a new way. Go check it out!
Place Your Bids! Time is Running Out!
If you’ve been waiting to place your bids on one of the outstanding shots up for grabs as part of the Walk4Hearing Photo Silent Auction now is the time to act! The auction closes this Sunday and if you wait too long you could miss out on a great deal on some fantastic photographs.
For those of you who may not have been following along, the Walk4Hearing is a charity walk to help raise awareness and funds to support the hearing impaired community. One of our regulars, Chris Stern, has been very involved in this effort as he, himself, has been hearing impaired most of his life. He is participating in the walk this year and my friend Rob Jones and I are working with Chris to help him raise as much money as he can for a cause he is very passionate about.
We’ve been fortunate enough to have received a number of photos donated by some amazing photographers and with a very gracious donation from Mpix to provide the actual prints, you know that the winners of each of the photos will get a terrific work of art.
You have until this Sunday to place your bids so don’t wait until the last minute! Act now!
If you’re on Twitter or Facebook, please help us out by posting about this great cause and linking to the auction site to help Chris reach his goal.
If you’re not into the whole auction thing, or if you were outbid on the shot you really wanted, but you still want to help out, please visit Chris’ Walk4Hearing Donation page today!
Thank You!
And the Winner Is…
Over the summer, my buddy Rob Jones of Towner Jones Photography held a very cool contest asking his readers to submit a theme for a self-directed photo project that they would then go out and shoot a collection of images based n that theme.
Rob was so kind as to ask me to be on his panel of judges for the contest and, I must say, there were some awesome entries out there from some very talented and creative photographers. We scored each collection of images based on General Appeal, Creativity, and Relation to the Theme. It was a fun, though tough, time going through each of the galleries and rating the images.
In the end, the winning collection comes from photographer Keegan Morrison’s theme of “Bugs” (view the entire gallery). Keegan put together a fascinating selection of macro shots of insects and bugs of all kinds showing us the tremendous detail of these small, creatures. Congratulations!
Both runner’s up – Chris Stern and Rebecca Lund – each had excellent galleries as well and are to be congratulated on their work!
Nice work everyone! And a big “Thank You” to Rob for his invitation to be a part of this awesome project!
Check out the full post, along with details about what the winners will receive, over at Towner Jones Photography!
Walk4Hearing Photo Silent Auction
Back in June, I mentioned how I had the pleasure of going on a photowalk with one of my readers, Chris Stern, while attending a conference in Boston. Chris and I had exchanged a few emails and Tweets and I was certainly aware of his photography skills through his contest entries. So, it was great to finally meet him in person.
As we finished up our time together, Chris mentioned to me that he was going to be participating in the Walk4Hearing to help raise awareness about hearing loss. He shared with me the success he had in the past in his fundraising efforts and that he wanted to really step it up and do something special this time around.
Since then Chris, Rob Jones (Towner Jones Photography, LLC) and I put our heads together and have teamed up to organize a silent auction to help raise awareness for this great cause. To help Chris reach his goal for the walk we are auctioning off a number of limited edition 11×14 prints, through a generous donation of printing by our friends over at Mpix.
We have been fortunate enough to gain the support of some extremely talented photographers who have donated prints including: Dave Cross, Ivan Makarov, Jeff Revell, Laurie Excell, Matt Kloskowski, RC Concepcion, Roger Madsen, and Stephen Zeller. Of course Chris, Rob and I have put up a few prints too.
To get a fuller picture of the real heart behind this auction, and the cause as a whole, why don’t we turn to Chris and hear a little of his story:
Hello,
My name is Christopher Stern. I have been hearing impaired all my life and wore hearing aids until I experienced additional loss of hearing in February 2005. After numerous hearing tests, I was approved for my first Cochlear Implant in June 2006. A year later, I received approval for my second implant in July 2007. I am happy to say that both implants were a success and I am hearing more than ever before.
Here is an example of I how privileged I am to receive this technology. Soon after receiving my first cochlear implant, I was on a ride with my in‑laws. We pulled over to the side of the road and my mother‑in‑law asked if I heard the sound outside the vehicle. The sound was of a cricket chirping and it was the first time I had heard one. The power of this technology is amazing and I can only imagine what is in store for the future.
Did you know that over 36 million adults have hearing loss? Chances are you know at least one person who has been affected by hearing loss and that is why I am taking part in the New England Walk4Hearing to be held at Artesani Park in Boston, MA on October 25, 2009. The mission of the walk is to increase awareness about the causes and consequences of hearing loss and to raise funds to provide information and support for people with hearing loss. I was privileged to participate in the New England Walk4Hearing in 2007 and raised over $2100 to support the hearing loss community. Now, I am looking to eclipse that goal and raise even more money for this cause.
Back in 2007, I was introduced to photography by my mother and have been hooked ever since. I can usually be found taking photos on the weekend and editing my photos during weekdays. I share my photos with the online community via Flickr or contests through various photography blogs. Early this year, I participated in the Towner Jones Photography and Jason D. Moore Photography monthly contests. I have been fortunate enough to win a few of the monthly contests, which continues to provide me with inspiration to take even more photos. It was through the communication with Rob and Jason that I was able to connect with them on a personal level and gained their support for the Walk4Hearing.
We are very excited about this opportunity and hope you will join us to help raise money for the Walk4Hearing.
Thank you for your time and remember, “Hear now and always.”
Full details on how to bid on the prints and to support Chris, whether you try for one of the prints or not, can be found on our Walk4Hearing Silent Auction page on the Towner Jones Photography Blog.
*100% of the proceeds from the silent auction will go to the Walk4Hearing.
7 Years & Counting!
That’s right. I am now into my 8th year of writing online. Last Saturday marked my 7th anniversary of what started out as a simple way of sharing an amazing semester abroad with my family and friends and has since become the Photoshop & Photography Blog Community that we have today!
It’s been a labor of love, especially over the past 3 years or so that I’ve been focusing almost solely on digital imagery, and I’ve been blessed to develop some great friendships along the way. One such friendship, which I mentioned a few weeks back, has been with Rob Jones of Towner Jones Photography. Rob and I share a similar philosophy for our work and I am always inspired and encouraged when I meet other like-minded Photoshop & Photography enthusiasts. In case you missed that post, the guiding principle for me is something along the lines of “pay it forward.” When I learn new things about Photoshop, I love to pass it along. If I see something and wonder how it was done, I am driven to figure it out both for the challenge of it and so I can then show others what I’ve learned.
I’ve been fortunate enough to develop relationships with some notable figures in the larger digital imaging community and have been blessed to receive some notariety myself. It is all a bit surreal for me because I see myself more as a just a guy who loves photography and needs an outlet for it. If my only readers were my mom and a couple of friends – like it was back in the day – I’d be happy, so I keep having to pinch myself that I get to do this everyday and share my thoughts and work with so many of you. (If only I were able to do it full-time!)
Because I never want to let any attention because of the blog go to my head, I do my best to share the spotlight (for lack of a better term) with my readers through projects and contests and other regular series so that others have some opportunities to reach a wider audience just as I’ve had over the last few years. Again, always trying to pay it forward and build community rather than toot my own horn.
There have been a lot of changes since I first began this endeavor, especially in the last year, and there will be more to come. Some of my series have fizzled out – due to lack of traction, time/development constraints, or they were just bad ideas – and others have risen higher than I had ever thought they would. Instead of taking a more nostalgic tack, which would be very tempting and easy to do, I thought that this milestone would serve as an excellent opportunity to look forward so we might do some brainstorming together to see where we might go from here.
First off, I want to lay out a few goals that I’d like to work towards with the blog, in no particular order:
- I’d like to continue to build this site as a place where creative people can share their work, inspire each other, and find unique opportunities to participate in creative projects.
- I’d like this site to be a resource where others can come for help and feedback so they can grow as image makers.
- I’d like this site to be an outlet for my own work with an openness for comments and critiques so I, too, can continue to develop my craft.
- I’d like to have an ongoing dialogue with my readers (through the comments or otherwise) not only so I can have a clearer sense of who they are, what they do, and why they come back, but more so we can all learn from each other and push each other to be better.
- And, if I’m being totally open and honest here, I’d like to see the blog grow in terms of being a source of income so that I can move closer to my dream of doing photography and Photoshop training full-time so that my passion might become my profession.
Next comes the more tricky part: How? Here is where I would like to solicit your input and ideas for how to turn the goals into realities. Maybe there’s something you’d like to see by way of a project/series/contest or other program here on the site. Maybe you have ideas about how to improve on what’s been started already. Here’s a few things to get the ball rolling (again, in no particular order):
- The Points of View Photo Project has been quite successful, in my opinion, and those who participate are constantly telling me how much they enjoy the new challenge each time around. I will certainly be continuing the project as long as I have original source images to share. I’m always open to reader-submitted source images, so if you’d like to see how others might interpret one of your shots please send it in to pov@jasondmoore.com.
- Workflow Fridays has fallen off somewhat, mainly due to how tough it’s been this summer to coordinate it. I’d like to see it continue because I think it’s a great way to get a glimpse into the process of someone else so we can pick up tips and tricks we might be able to incorporate into our own work. If you’d like to contribute, please send me an email and I’d be glad to review it for posting.
- Photo Reviews have been a fun way for me to flex my creative muscles and share my thoughts and opinions so others might improve in their work. I’d like to see this continue as well but I just need people to send me their shots. If you’d like your photo reviewed, email me at reviews@jasondmoore.com.
- Ask Jason is along the same lines and is off to a good start with yesterday’s post. If you have questions, send ‘em along to askjason@jasondmoore.com.
- Photoshop Tutorial Videos have been really fun for me to do in the past and it’s been such a crazy year that I haven’t been able to get back to it. There’s a new contest over at NAPP that I’m going to talk about more down the line that will hopefully get me back into it.
- Contests have been going quite well lately, especially with the BIG Photo Contest last month, and they are a great way to highlight some excellent photography. I’ve been approached by a few people with some really unique prizes that you will hopefully be seeing in the coming months.
- Sponsors have been a great support for both the contests and this blog as a whole. I’ve been blessed to receive donations of prizes for the contests as well as monetary donations to help keep this blog going in one form or another. And I am so thankful for those of you who have done that! I’d like to invite all of you to consider either donating via the PayPal button in the sidebar or sponsoring the site or one of the ongoing projects. Find out more by visiting the Become a Sponsor page or by emailing me at sponsors@jasondmoore.com.
- Jason D. Moore Prints are available for purchase through my Zenfolio Store – powered by Mpix. I am adding new shots as often as I can so you can have a fine art print and support the site at the same time. Check out the store for Jason D. Moore Prints.
- The Jason D. Moore Photography Apparel Store has recently opened as well. You can pick up your very own shirts, mugs, stickers, tote bags and more to show your support of the blog as well as the larger community it represents. And I’m adding new items all the time. If you do buy something from the store, be sure to send me a picture of you wearing it so I can post it here.
- Photowalks have been a tremendous source of inspiration for me as well as a great way to meet my fellow photographers. I’m planning on holding more in the future, for sure.
- Photoshop & Photography Workshops have been something I’ve done in the past on a smaller scale and something I’ve been toying with doing again.
- Supporting Causes is a good way to increase your visibility, yes, but more importantly it’s just the right thing to do. There are a couple of things in progress that will be announced in the coming weeks that I think you would all be able to join me in supporting.
- Others? What are your thoughts on all of this? What else can you think of? No matter how far-fetched, off-the-wall, outlandish, mundane, basic, ambitious, or just plain good your ideas might be, I want to hear them! So please leave a comment below and let me know what you think.
I really want to make this site more than just another photoblog and I want to make sure that everyone from the hobbyist to the professional feels welcome and able to be a part of it. So please, give me your input and help this community grow!
We’re Almost There!
Welcome to post #999!
That’s right, tomorrow will mark my 1,000th post and the conclusion of the BIG Photo Contest that’s been running to help celebrate that milestone.
Last night I had the great pleasure to finally meet my long-time friend and fellow photoblogger Rob Jones of Towner Jones Photography in person. He’s been in Syracuse this week for his day job and swung down to our house for a visit. It was fun getting to know in-person someone I’ve exchanged so many emails with over the past couple of years, now. I’ve always had a great deal of respect for Rob and what he’s been doing over on his blog and have really enjoyed seeing the growth he’s experienced, especially the past few months with the success of the Photowalk shirts.
As he and I had suspected prior to our meeting, we’re very much on the same wavelength both with our blogs and our goals and visions for the future and it’s refreshing to know someone who shares those dreams. One of the things that really drives us both and is starting to manifest itself in interesting and exciting ways is the philosophy of giving back. While that means supporting causes and efforts that are meaningful, it also means paying forward the generosity that we’ve been shown by others within this great Photoshop & Photography Community. We kept coming back to that idea time and again as the foundation of why we do what we do and lays the groundwork for our future endeavors.
It was a fun evening with some great stories and I’m really excited about what we’ve been able to forge. So, thanks Rob for coming by and I look forward to doing it again!
New Online Magazine: Creative Studio (CAFE)
I was looking through my latest email CAFE Cup news from PhotoshopCAFE and noticed that Colin just launched the first issue of his new online magazine, Creative Studio (CAFE).
For this inaugural issue, Colin has assembled an awesome group of experts to talk about what’s new in CS4. It’s more than just a listing of new features, they go in-depth to really show how some of the newest features work and how they will help you improve your workflow.
In other news, I was reading Scott’s post the other day about AllTop.com and how they are now letting you create your own page of RSS feeds. Scott links us to his page to see the blogs that he checks up on every day and I was pleasantly surprised to see that I am on his list! Very cool!
And speaking of Scott, I was reading the blog of my buddy Rob Jones of Towner Jones Photography and he recently posted about the judges for the “On Assignment” contest. I was asked to be on the panel of judges but when I saw that the other members were Scott and Photowalker Extraordinaire Jeff Revell, I was humbled.
I never want to sell myself short but I am always amazed when movers and shakers in the digital photography community take notice of what I’m doing here in my little corner of the web or when others count me among those same individuals whom I hold in such high esteem.
So, thank you Scott! And thank you Rob! for such honors.
“On Assignment” with Towner Jones Photography
This summer, our friend Rob Jones of Towner Joens Photography is hosting a really cool photography contest.
Here’s the rundown:
The contest, like always, is open to amateur and professional photographers alike. However, that’s about the only thing it has in common with our regular monthly contest.
The biggest difference is – you get to choose your theme. The goal is for you to pick something that you can get excited about. And… something that will inspire you to take multiple pictures. You see, another key difference with this contest is that we’re looking for a series of photos, instead of a single shot.
To participate, you’ll need to send an email to onassignment@townerjones.com with your name, address, and “theme of choice” no later than June 30th. Once you submit, your theme will be reviewed and upon approval you’re “On Assignment” to capture 10 to 20 images related to your theme! (Only images captured during the contest dates qualify)
Next, on July 31, you’ll submit one of your photos (from your themed collection) to give the rest of us a “sneak peak” of what you’ve been working on. (Actually, we’ll be posting some selected photos from the “sneak peak” on the web – but three months is a long time to wait and we’ll be excited to see you’re great work, you’ve got to give us something!)
Finally, on August 31, you’ll submit all of your final photos for final review. (Details for submission will be emailed to all our registered contestants)
Photos will be judged on three categories: General Appeal (50%), Creativity (25%), and Relation to Theme (25%)
Rob has generously invited me to be a member of the team of judges he is assembling to go through all of the entries and select the grand prize winner.
For complete contest details, and a list of prizes, visit Rob’s website and get moving!
Workflow Friday: Rob Jones
This week we welcome another exceptional photographer to our Workflow Fridays series, Rob Jones. Rob and his wife Rose run Towner Jones Photography based in Gainesville, VA.
Thanks for sharing with us today, Rob!
First let me say, I feel quite humbled to be in the company of the talented folks that have contributed to this great blog. I also want to say “thanks” to Jason for allowing me to participate and thanks to all of you for sharing your time with me today.
When I first started preparing for my edition of “Workflow Fridays,” I was quite excited. I had, on my schedule, a perfect photo shoot lined up which I thought would provide some excellent shots to put through my workflow. The plan was to hike into Shenandoah National Park, here in Virginia, and capture images of the waterfalls in Whiteoak Canyon. However, when I got up the morning of the shoot, there was no hot water in the house. I did get to see a waterfall that day – unfortunately it was coming from the hot water heater in the basement. Oh the life of a great adventurer…
Why am I sharing this story with you, you might ask? I’m sharing it because, I did manage to find a “waterfall” picture in my collection to work over for you, but it’s a tad smaller than the eighty-six footer I had planned on shooting.
Just imagine the splendor of what could have been in your mind’s eye, and we’ll get started.
So here’s our “waterfall” shot. It was taken early in the morning, also in Shenandoah National Park, back in October. For those of you that are interested in the image specs, it was taken with my Nikon D90 using Nikon’s 18-200mm lens. The exposure is 6 seconds, at f/20 (ISO 100). (On a side note, the D90 has become a beloved addition to my gear for situations when carrying the D3 with its big, heavy glass just won’t do)
Now for all intents and purposes, I think this is a pretty decent shot – though a little underexposed. My goal, however, is to bring back the color, vibrance, and “pop” that the early morning sun cast on this little corner of the park.
For a little background, I’m a Lightroom convert. I used to post-process all of my images in Photoshop. Since Lightroom hit the scene, I’d estimate less than 10% actually make the trip out of Lightroom over to Adobe’s flagship application. For me, the decision is all about efficiency, and that’s the name of the game in Lightroom. The steps I’m about to outline, took me a little less than a minute from start to finish. The order of these steps sometimes varies, but these are the “basics” I do to almost all of my “keepers”.
Step 1: Correct White Balance
I’ve read a great deal of discussion regarding “correct” vs. “incorrect” white balance. For those of you that read my blog, you’ve heard me say that I believe “correct” is always in the eyes of the photographer. For me, finding the right color temperature involves using the WB tool in Lightroom to sample a number of target grays and finding the one that, I feel, reflects the mood that I’m trying to convey in the photograph. In this particular picture, I wanted a little more warmth than what the camera captured, which I found in the gray at the center of the rock in the upper left corner.
Step 2: Exposure Adjustment
As I mentioned earlier, I felt that this image was a little underexposed from what I remembered, so I bumped up the overall exposure about three-quarters of a stop.
Step 3: Tone Curve – Contrast Adjustment
In Lightroom, the Tone Curve sliders give quick and easy access to adjusting ranges of tones. At this point, I wanted to bring the water from the waterfall and the rock on the bottom of the stream up a little relative to the shadows and mossy undersides of the rocks, so I bumped up the “Highlights” and “Lights” a bit. I didn’t, however, want to dramatically change the overall relative contrast too much, so I brought the low-to-mid range “Darks” up a hair as well.
Step 4: More Exposure “Tweaking”
I often do a little dance back and forth between steps 3 and 4 to get the proper balance of exposure and contrast. Here in step four, using Lightroom’s “Fill Light” and “Blacks” sliders bring out a little more of the detail (particularly in the moss) that I didn’t achieve using the Tone Curve adjustments.
Step 5: Adding Pop
Consider this step optional, and let me take a slight mental detour. Lightroom offers three “Presence” sliders, which we all know and love… Clarity, Vibrance, and Saturation. These guys have the power to dramatically affect a photos representation of “reality” – and I, for one, am NOT ashamed to use them. In this step, I’ve added some “pop” to the image by bumping up Clarity and Vibrance. Generally speaking, I use these two to add a little flavor, and Saturation to mellow things down if I go overboard.
Step 6: Fine Tuning Color
Some of my favorite tools in Lightroom are the Detailed Color Adjustment sliders. Here I’ve continued to “tweak” the image to achieve the vibrancy of colors I remembered from that morning. My other favorite use for these sliders is eliminating color cast that I’ve introduced by pushing other adjustments in Lightroom.
Step 7: Finishing Touches
The finishing touches most common for all of my work are Sharpening and Vignetting. Zooming in on the moss, I applied an appropriate boost of sharpening to bring out edge detail while minimizing edge artifacts. When it comes to vignetting, I want to personally thank the folks at Adobe that added “Post-Crop” vignetting in Lightroom 2. I’ve used a slight post-crop vignette to bring the viewers focus in on the waterfall at the center of the scene.
And last but not least… the final shot.
I’ll note that I’ve left off a number of the other cool things (Adjustment Brush, Graduated Filters, etc.) that Lightroom makes available. Though I love them, I’ve personally found that the amount of time I spend “messing with” my photos goes up exponentially if I’m not careful to use them sparingly. As a result, I follow the basic process I’ve outlined here for most of my pictures, and save the more advanced tools for the shots I want to give some extra attention.
One closing thought about developing your own workflow. Make sure that the end of your workflow involves sharing your photos with others. It doesn’t matter if you’re a novice or a pro, sharing your photos with others will provide healthy criticism and (if you choose your audience well) positive affirmation – both of which will help you continue to grow as a photographer. And with that, thank you, sincerely, for the opportunity to share my work with you.
All the best, Rob
Thanks Rob! Check out more from Rob by visiting his blog today!
If you enjoyed this edition of Workflow Fridays, please help keep this and our other great Photoshop & Photography series going by becoming a sponsor today! You can sponsor an individual series or support the blog as a whole with a banner in the sidebar or leaderboard. Find out how!
Geographic Composition #45: Green
Welcome to week forty-five of Geographic Composition! For each edition of the project a number of my fellow photobloggers and I will submit an image based on a common theme from our scattered locations around the world. Even though the theme is the same, our own vision and view of the world when coupled with the geographic and cultural environment in which we live will shape the images we create and offer a varied interpretation on the topic of the week.
This week, our theme is “Green.”
Geographic Composition is an open photographic project and we welcome new contributors all the time. For more information, please read over our “Call for Entries” post and stop back here for upcoming themes and posting dates.
Our coming themes/dates are:
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Week #46 – January 30: “Shadows”
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Week #47 – Frbruary 13: “Round”
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Week #48 – February 27: “Contasts”
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Week #49 – March 13: “Wood”
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Week #50 - March 27: Contributor’s Favorites
Please take a moment to view the participants’ blogs. And, as always be sure to send me new themes and topics in the comments below.
Thanks, and Enjoy!
“Green Avocado”
Michael Palmer – Potomac, MD
“Muir Woods National Park”
Rob Jones - Gainesville , VA
“Our Jackson Pollack” – Painted by Kim & Jason Moore
Jason D. Moore – Endicott, NY
“Greens”
Andy Smith – Hanover, PA
P&P Weekly: #106
POST 850!
Welcome to week #106 of The Photoshop & Photography Blogroll’s P&P Weekly!
I’d like to extend a special welcome to our newest sponsor, Towner Jones Photography! Friend-of-the-Blog Rob Jones of Towner Jones Photography will be a sponsor of the Photoshop Interviews series throughout 2009! I’m really excited to announce this new partnership and I invite you to head over to his blog and check out all the great things Rob is doing over there!
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of one of our weekly or monthly series, or if you would like to be a sponsor of the blog as a whole, please take a minute to review our “Become a Sponsor” post.
Monthly Photo Contests
Full details can be found on our Monthly Photo Contest post and you can submit your shot(s) to our Monthly Photo Contest Flickr Group.
Every other Friday, we will welcome a new guest blogger that will share their personal workflow with all of us. They will take one of their own photos and walk us through the how’s and why’s of their post-processing techniques so that we might learn and expand our own workflows.
If you would like to participate in this new series, please email me or leave a comment!
Part II of my interview with Photoshop Hall of Fame inductee and Principal Project Manager for Adobe Photoshop and Bridge (and Friend-of-the-Blog) John Nack is coming soon! After a few hiccups with his computer, John is getting back up to speed and we’ll have the rest posted soon.
On the 4th of each month throughout the year I invite you to take a photo and send it in. Join me and other photographers from around the world in documenting a day in the life, of sorts. For full details, take a look at our introductory post. If you shot something on January 4th, be sure to send me your images by next week for inclusion in this project!
Geographic Composition
Our upcoming themes – and their posting dates – are:
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Week #45 – January 16: “Green”
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Week #46 – January 30: “Shadows”
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Week #47 – Frbruary 13: “Round”
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Week #48 – February 27: “Contasts”
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Week #49 – March 13: “Wood”
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Week #50 - March 27: Contributor’s Favorites
More details about Geographic Composition.
Starting in January I am offering special desktop wallpaper calendars. These desktop calendars will feature my personal photography as well as a listing of holidays and important dates. I offer these wallpaper calendars in a variety of sizes to accommodate a number of screen resolutions. The January Desktop Calendars are up now and February’s will be posted towards the end of the month.
Get Your Monthly Desktop Calendar Today!
In the meantime…
Click here to become a member of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. A great resource for training, tips, and connecting with other creatives.
And as always, take a moment to grab one of the chicklet links to show your support for this blog and, for blogroll members, be sure to pick up your P&P Blogroll Member badge link.
Finally, here are some of my favorites from what’s been happening in the top half (A-J) of The Photoshop & Photography Blogroll:
- Paul of A Clean-Well Lighted Place – “Untitled #11578“
- Stacey of A “focus” in the wild - “A New Beginning” – particularly the image on the bottom
- Kathleen of A Walk Through Durham Township, Pennsylvania – “Snow on a Wrought Iron Gate in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania“
- Amy of Archerfoto – “January 1, 2009“
- Margo of The Barefoot Contessa – “A Celebration of Some 2008 Photographs – Part II“
- Richard of Black and White Photography – “Friends“
- Bruce of Bruce L. Snell Photography – “Ceynote“
- Kerry of Camera Dojo – “Marc Fuller on SEO for Your Website“
- Jason of Canon Blogger – “The Boneyard and the Backstory“
- Crash of Crash Taylor Photography – “Janie and Paul Engagement Shoot“
- Mike of Creative Sweet TV – “Blob Brush Bonanza“
- Dave of Dave Cross Online – “Vegas Photo Shoot/Lesson Learned“
- David of Digital ProTalk – “Recession Lighting: A Poor Man’s Guide to Lighting Gear“
- Doug of doug stremel photography – “Squint Into the Light“
- Marshall of f/11 – “Festive Kitty“
- Syv of Foto-Biz.com – “Running Out of Money“
- Eric of Graphic Tips – “Free Texture Tuesday: Paint Splatters“
- Scotty of IndoGrahams – “Sunda Kelapa“
- Marcus of Invisible Green – “Hooked Tag“ (Awesome Shot!)
- Jenny of Jenny Arnez Photography – “Guitar Player“
- Joey of Joey L. – “Dropping off the face of the earth“
- John of John Nack on Adobe – “Photoshop Subvertising”
Please be sure to visit the great blogs of our other members found in the sidebar. And if you would like to be considered for The Photoshop & Photography Blogroll, email Jason.
Guest Blogging at Towner Jones Photography
Friend-of-the-Blog Rob Jones of Towner Jones Photography is featuring me today as part of his new guest blogger series. I’ve never been a guest blogger before and it’s a really cool thing to be asked to step in and offer my thoughts to his audience. So a huge ‘thank you’ goes out to Rob for the invitation and I hope I do the series justice with my contribution.
I put together a post about how creative vision and visual storytelling is more important than what type of camera you use or if you have the latest and greatest software package. So, in lieu of a post here, please head on over to Towner Jones Photography to check out what I have to say on the subject and be sure to take a look around at all of the other great things Rob has over there.
And Rob, Thanks Again!
P&P Blogroll Photowalkers
First off, Happy 32nd Engagement Anniversary to my parents!
The number of photowalks that are now a part of Friend-of-the-Blog Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photowalk has just exploded with new locations being added everyday.
Some of our very own members will be leading photowalks as part of this unique experience including:
- Myself - Binghamton, NY
- Jeff Revell – Washington, DC
- Rob Jones - Charlottesville, VA
- Clayton Spangler - Charleston, WV
- Scott Kelby – Dunedin, FL
- Matt Kloskowski – Tampa, FL
- Dave Cross – Tampa (Ybor City), FL
- David Ziser - Cincinnati, OH
- Terry White – Detroit, MI
- Amy Archer – Malmo, Sweden
- Igno van Niekerk – Bloemfontein, South Africa
I’ve got a great route and ending restaurant all set thanks to Friend-of-the-Blog Eric Saar.
A number of photowalks are filling up fast so be sure to sign up soon or start one in your area!
Creative White Balance and Link Love
My first order of business is to reciprocate some very kind words sent my way yesterday by two Photoshop & Photography Blogroll members. Rob Jones of Towner Jones Photography included me and, by extension, the blogroll in his weekly “Monday Morning 10″ and also Jason Anderson of Canon Blogger who is also making a pretty large move and has had over 60,000 visitors. Congrats! And Jason, to answer your question, I have a very supportive and understanding wife!
And now on to the meat of the post.
As I was reading Joe McNally’s The Moment it Clicks I was reminded of a number of white balance and lighting techniques that my dad and I have been using for a number of years in our video work.
Most of the time with our digital cameras we set our white balances to match the different shooting situations we are in. If we’re outsite we set it to daylight. Inside, to tungston or fluorescent. And so on. Or, with RAW, we can even set it after the fact if we make a mistake or the auto setting isn’t quite right.
Now, those things are always important to keep in mind when trying to make your image look just right. But lets take a moment to think about how else we can use white balance besides just getting the highlights, shadows and neutral grays to look more natural.
But shooting with different color temperatures acting in your scene, in a mixed lighting situation, can offer some interesting possibilities into your work. For example, if you’re shooting indoors with tungsten light and you allow some daylight to be introduced you can get a really nice blue light on your background since daylight is “cooler” than tungsten. Alternately, if you light your subject with daylight, or a contstant light source balanced for daylight, and then add a tungsten light as a backlight or to light your background you will get a nice warm rim light on your subject and/or your subject will look like they are in a very warm and cozy setting.
It’s usually not as interesting in the setups I’ve done for video, but I can imagine the possibilities with using fluorescent as well with the greenish light that it produces. Or even the yellow or orange of sodium-vapor street lights.
Next time, try introducing multiple light sources with different color temperatures in you next shoot. You may find some very cool results! (No pun intended.)
P&P Blogger Profile: Rob Jones
Rob Jones of Towner Jones Photography
Rob Jones and his wife, Rose Jones, own Towner Jones Photography, based out of Gainesville, VA.
Why do you blog?
I blog to help myself grow as a photographer, to become part of a larger community of photographers by sharing techniques and ideas, and as a way to reach my clients.
If you only had time to read three blogs a day, which ones would they be?
Photoshop Insider (www.scottkelby.com)
Lightroom Killer Tips (www.lightroomkillertips.com)
PhotoWalkPro (www.revellphotography.com/blog)
How long have you been using Photoshop/been a photographer?
I’ve been using Photoshop since version 3.0, and I’ve been a photographer since the mid-90’s when I got my first camera. When digital photography came on the scene the computer nerd and the artist in me both had an outlet – and I haven’t looked back since.
What type of camera(s) do you shoot with?
I currently shoot a Nikon D200.
Mac or PC?
PC. Yes, I’m a hold out for the PC, but I’m certainly not against the Mac. I have a background in computer engineering, so PCs have been close to my heart for quite some time.
What is your favorite piece of photo or computer equipment (other than your camera)?
My Dell 3007WFP-HC 30-inch monitor is one of my favorite toys. It has stunning color and sharpness, and you can’t beat having 30-inches of real estate.
What piece of equipment would you most like to get but don’t have?
Any of Nikon’s long reaching, fast glass… including but not limited to, Nikon’s 400mm f/2.8, 200mm f/2.0, 600mm f/4
What advice do you have for a novice creative professional/photographer?
Don’t be afraid to make lots of mistakes. If you’re shooting digital, learning to take better pictures is FREE! No book, seminar, class, video, whatever can replace practice on your camera.
What inspires you to create?
It all depends on the moment. Often it’s people (particularly friends and family), but many times it’s seeing something amazing done by another photographer.
What would be your most important piece of advice about life?
God has a wonderful plan for us, trusting in that fact, and not allowing the setbacks we face in life to steal our joy is the secret to real happiness.
Where would you most like to live (other than where you live now)?
I’d love to live in the Outer Banks of North Carolina – for now, I’ll vacation there any chance I get.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
My favorite “spare time” activity is spending time with my wife and daughter. When it comes to hobbies, apart from photography and messing around on the computer, I love to play saxophone and piano. If I’m not doing any of these things you’ll find me hiking, camping, or canoeing.
What talent would you most like to have?
I’d love to be more athletic – I enjoy playing pretty much every sport – but I’ve never been coordinated enough to really hold my own.
From Inside the Actors Studio:
What is your favorite word? Sure
What is your least favorite word? Cornucopia (it just irritates me)
What turns you on? My wife, and (though my wife would have liked me to stop with my first answer) the smell of new electronics or photo equipment.
What turns you off? People who are inconsiderate, selfish, or rude.
What sound or noise do you love? My daughter laughing, well played saxophone, the ocean
What sound or noise do you hate? My daughter crying, when it’s caused by pain. (If you don’t have kids, this is a much different cry than that of a temper tantrum… this one tears a daddy’s heart in two)
What is your favorite curse word? It’s not exactly a curse word, but lately I find myself using “douche” as a way to describe someone who’s irritating me.
What occupation other than your own would you like to attempt? I’d love the opportunity to be a professional musician.
What occupation would you not want to participate in? Any job where I’d have to see people suffering on a regular basis. My heart hurts for people, and I don’t think I could handle it in large doses.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? Well done, good and faithful servant. I love you and welcome home.
Note: If you there is someone you would like to see as a part of the P&P Blogger Profile series, please email Jason with their blog’s URL. Also, be sure to check out the P&P Weekly every Monday for news about this site and a roundup of what other Photoshop & Photography Blogroll members are posting.
